Adrien sits at the table pushing his food around his plate as he waits for his father to get home. He had gotten back from school to find Nathalie waiting at the door. She had received a call from the school telling her about his failed exam. There was no way for him to make it up. Apparently, grades were due Monday and there wasn't enough time to create a makeup.

According to Nathalie, his father was 'displeased'. He's pissed. And he should be home any moment. Adrien dislikes talking to his father in general, let alone when he's messed up multiple times in such a short time.

The dining room door swings shut with a soft click, but you would think his father had slammed the door by the way Adrien jumps. The sound footsteps are drowned out by the clock striking ten, making his father's approach seem so much more ominous.

"Adrien."

"Father." Adrien continues to stare at his uneaten food.

"How is your schedule lately?" Gabriel drops into a seat by his son.

Adrien's eyes switch to his father's face, thoroughly confused. "My schedule is fine father."

"Hmmmm. So then tell me, why were you sleeping in class today? Are you unwell?" Gabriel's eyebrows knit together in mock concern, his eyes still hard and cold.

"N-no father. I am feeling fine. I just haven't been getting enough sleep lately."

"Obviously. I may not look it now, but I am not happy." Gabriel states dryly as he stands and begins to pace the room behind his son.

Adrien stands and turns toward his father. "I'm sorry father. I didn't mean to fall asleep. I've been studying very hard for this test over the past couple days and I am very upset with myself for having missed it. I messed u- "

Adrien's head snaps back with the force of the blow, tears rapidly rolling down his face from the unexpected slap. He stumbles back into the table as he raises his hand to his stinging cheek.

"Messed up? Messed up?! You're ruining your education!" his father's yell echoes around the room.

"Fa-father, it's only one test. No need to get… upset."

Gabriel's eyes bulge at the unspoken word. Physical. "One test is where it begins. I know what's going on with you. You've been rebelling all week. First you missed that photoshoot, then the debacle at that girl's house, now this? Do I not give you everything you need? How can you be so ungrateful?" he hisses in Adrien's face.

Ungrateful? Ungrateful for what? An emotionally distant father who treats him more as an object than as a son? For being forced into a career he doesn't want? For being so uncomfortable in his own skin that it's a relief when he turns into Chat Noir when an akuma shows up to try to kill him? No, he isn't ungrateful. There's simply nothing to be grateful for.

"I'm sorry father. It won't happen again." Adrien stares at his feet, his mind racing as he tries to keep his face calm.

"Sorry? You think that makes me feel better? Perhaps going to school is too much for you. Perhaps you should go back to private tutoring."

"No!" Adrien cries. "No father. I'll do better! I'll talk to my teacher and do extra credit. Please, let me stay in school. I swear I'll do better."

Gabriel glares down at his son, face bored again. "Fine. You get one more change. But if you go against me again, do anything wrong, and you'll go back to tutoring immediately. Do you understand?"

"Yes father. Thank you." Adrien replies softly as he edges around the table, trying to escape his father's reach. He feels eyes on him as he hurries from the room, pulling the door shut with a soft click.

He runs to his room, the need to get away is almost too much to bare. "Plagg, claws out!" he yells as eh closes his bedroom door. Seconds later he is running across the rooftops of Paris.

His entire existence becomes the wind on his face, the pounding of his feet as he jumps from building to building. He doesn't know how long he's been running when he finally comes to a stop. His breath calms as his thoughts begin to circle again.

His father had hit him. Actually, physically hit him. And he hadn't apologized. Is he just going to pretend it hadn't happened? Is Adrien going to let him? Chat shakes his head to try to dislodge the thoughts filling his head. He doesn't want to think about this right now.

"Chat?" a soft voice calls from behind him.

He spins around to find Marinette standing there. Her hair is down and slightly wet and she is wearing a set of pink cotton pajamas. She must be fresh out of the shower.

"Hello princess."

"Ummm… what are you doing here?" she looks up at him with concern in her blue eyes.

"I was just out for a quick stroll." He smiles as he step0s forward, reaching out to touch the end of her damp hair. "What are you doing here?"

"I've been enjoying the view." She gestures to the city behind him. "Are you okay? Normally you would have known I was here… is everything alright?"

"Everything is…" he looks down at her and finds himself incapable of lying to her. "Everything is not alright. I just got into a bit of trouble with my… family."

Her eyes soften as she reaches up to touch his cheek, trying to comfort him. He flinches a bit when her fingers brush over his still aching cheek and she snaps her hand back.

"What happened to your cheek?" he looks away as she asks. He doesn't want to see the look in her eyes. Concern and pity. His princess is too kind. After a moment of silence, she gives up and takes his hand, leading him to the small table in the corner of the balcony.

"Come, sit." She carefully settles into one of the chairs, wincing slightly.

"Are you okay princess?"

"I'm fine Chat. Just a bit sore, don't worry about it."

Maybe she still hasn't recovered from earlier that morning. She pulled a muscle, or maybe it's from that fall. Either way, she still seems to be in pain. "How can I not worry?" he grumbles, mostly to himself, as he drops to the floor in front of her.

"You don't want to sit like a normal person? You are such a silly kitty." Her wonderful laughter fills his ears and calms his heart. Apparently, a dose of Marinette is just what he needed.

"You know it purrincess. I am a chat through-and-through."

"Ugh, your puns are terrible."

They sit in companionable silence for a few minutes as he relaxes, his head resting lightly against her thigh. His mind starts up again as the silence stretches. He is so lost in thought that it takes a moment for him to recognize the gently tugging feeling in his hair, the gently scratching on his scalp. It feels good.

"So… why are you here? Like, on my balcony?"

His eyes snap open to find her looking down at him. Her balcony… is that where they are. It would make sense, why would she be anywhere else at 11 at night? So then… had he ended up there by chance or was it unconscious? On some level, does he know that she will make him feel better?

"I'm… not sure to be honest. I was running for a while, then I stopped. I hadn't been paying attention to where I was going or where I ended up. Maybe its fate." He grins up at her, feeling her stiffen behind him.

"Fate…?" she mumbles.

He watches her for a moment, her thoughts far away. She's looking up to the sky and making funny faces. She's obviously struggling with something. "Princess?"

"Hmmmm?"

"You look conflicted."

"Do I? it's nothing… don't worry." She shakes her head.

"You know, if you want to talk about something… I'm here. I won't tell anyone, cats honor."

She looks down at him in surprise. "Really? Well… if I tell you what's on my mind will you tell me what's on yours?"

"I… I suppose I could tell you a little bit… It'll be light on details though, secret identity and all."

"I understand." She giggles. "Alrighty then. Today… today we had our end of quarter exam in one of my classes at school. Grades are supposed to be in by Monday and a friend of mine… Adrien… he didn't get to take it. He fell asleep and didn't get to finish… Now he's in trouble. The school had to call his father and I'm… worried. His father is kind of strict and Adrien is already in trouble because of me… I don't know how I can help him."

She worried about him. The thought gives him butterflies. That means she's thinking about him. She's really a good… friend? Looking up at her now he thinks, maybe she could be more than a friend. His chest constricts deliciously at the idea. But that isn't possible. He loves Ladybug… Right?

"Well, if you want to help him then you should talk to him. I'm sure he would be happy to hear you care. You do care for him, don't you?" What is he saying?! Why is he asking her that? And why is he nervous?

"Of course I care. How could I not? He's my friend… I care about him a lot…" her voice fades, her last words barely even audible to him. Of course, they're just friends. But the sudden hollow feeling in his chest…

"Alright. I'm done. It's your turn. What's on your mind tonight? Her voice is full of forced cheerfulness.

"My turn huh?" he sighs, turning his eyes to the sky. "Well… I broke the rules today and got in trouble with my fa-… family. We got into it and h- they yelled. A lot. I tried to apologize but it's no use. I messed up. So, they punished me." He finishes quietly, gently touching his now bruising cheek.

"What do you mean 'punished'?" she asks quietly, voice hard.

"It's no matter princess. I deserved the punishment I got. Don't worry yourself." He smiles up at her and finds her angry. Very angry.

"Answer my question Chat."

"It's nothing princess. I only got threatened to be pulled out of… and activity I enjoy. Something I can't stand to lose."

"So, then this…?" she brushes her fingers along his jaw, being careful to avoid the now visible bruise.

"Is nothing to worry yourself over." He finishes for her.

She looks skeptical and concerned but says nothing. He grins at her until her expression softens and her fingers dig into his hair again.

They sit in silence for a long time, simply comforted by each other's presence. Eventually the gentle scratching slows to a stop.

"Marinette?" he asks as he turns to look up at her. She's asleep. Her head is lulled to the side and her breathing is slow, a small smile on her slightly parted lips. It's one of the most beautiful things he has ever seen.

"Marinette? Are you asleep?"

No answer. After watching her for a moment he turns and carefully lifts her. She makes a small pained noise but stays asleep as he makes his way into her bedroom below

"Adrie… mmmhm…" she mumbles in her sleep.

Even in her dreams she is worried about him. Covering her in a blanket, he can't resist the temptation to kiss her. Although, to keep it chaste, he turns at the last second to kiss her forehead.

With her properly seen to, he turns off her lights and makes his way home. Calmer and surprisingly happy, he climbs into bed and dreams of his wonderful princess.